Friends are Friends Forever
by Caseworker-14
Summary: Monica, Andrew and Gloria fly to Florida for their vacation, but what awaits them there will test the limits of their friendship a great deal...Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Friends Are Friends Forever**

**Author: Alexandra Lucier**

**Disclaimer: All the angels in this story belong to Martha Williamson**

**Chapter 1**

"I hope this weather clears up before our cruise." Andrew stated with only a slightly worried tone as he glanced out the plane window from his seat next to his friend Monica. Outside, a violent thunderstorm rattled the huge jet like it was a baby's toy. It was late and dark out, but no one on the plane slept that night because of the aggressive turbulence caused by the vicious storm.

But Monica seemed more worried about the planned cruise than the raging storm causing the jet around them to shudder. She nodded in forced agreement with her friend, but it was clear that her enthusiasm was unwilling. Andrew sighed irritably and shook his head in an annoyed manner. Monica had always been afraid of water, but let's face it. They were headed to Florida for a well-deserved vacation and she shouldn't let her phobia get in the way of _everything. _

"Monica, come on." Andrew attempted to convince his friend otherwise. "It's out vacation and you should enjoy it too. I planned this cruise so we could all get away from cases and assignments for a little while and just relax." He pressed contentedly as he reached over and took her hand caringly as he had done so many times before. But Monica didn't even seem to feel him as she sighed and seemed undecided. "I don't know, Andrew. Maybe I should just stay at the hotel and wait for you and Gloria." She suggested desperately, as if trying to find some way out of this, _Anyway _out of this. But Andrew wouldn't have any of it.

"No Monica. Trust me it's going to be great okay? Don't think about the water. Think about the fun in the sun, the buffet, the volleyball court and the pool tables. You're good at pool, I've seen you." He attempted one more time as thunder boomed outside and another thrust of turbulence wracked the plane around them. Monica was about to refuse again, but she made the mistake of glancing up, even if it was only for a moment, she looked up into her friend's face and saw those well-known puppy-dog eyes of his. And so, without further or do, she was forced to agree with nothing more than an amused smile at Andrew's antics. She was so glad he was here.

These two were angels, sent by God to help people in need, although they were a little different from one another. Andrew was an Angel of Death and Monica's very good friend. Monica was what they call a caseworker (an angel who met and helped people with life-typical problems). But she was also known as a supervisor and her trainee, Gloria sat in the seat on the other side of her. She was coming on the vacation as well. Only, as Andrew glanced across Monica at Gloria, it was easy to tell something wasn't right with the young angel.

"Gloria, are you alright?" He inquired in a concerned manner as he watched her pop a single Gravol pill in her mouth and wash it down with a massive gulp of water before glancing around and fidgeting nervously. But when she heard her friend's gentle voice, she glanced over at him from her seat and forced a nod. "Yeah, fine." She replied in a voice barely audible as she continued to glance about her in an uncomfortable manner. But as she turned back to Andrew, she caught sight of his expression and knew by instinct that he didn't buy it. After a brief moment of silence as she considered whether or not to tell him the truth, she eventually decided that would be best.

"Okay fine!" She caved weekly as she pondered an easy way to tell her friends this. "I'm…I'm just a little…um…" she stammered unknowingly as she desperately scrambled for a way to tell them. But finally she decided she's better just come out and say it. "I…I may have a little fear of flight." She spilled out the last part so quickly that the others almost didn't catch it. But she was surprised to find that once she had said it, it didn't seem like such a big deal. After all, Monica was hydrophobic. They were all afraid of something. And Monica and Andrew only helped with the predicament.

"Well, Gloria, that's no big deal." Monica laughed contentedly once her pupil had spilled her heart out. Gloria then shifted her gaze quickly from Monica to Andrew in some sort of search for reassurance. "Really?" She pried uneasily as lightning flashed out the window, causing the young caseworker to jump in fright. But Andrew and Monica only nodded confidently. "Oh sure." Andrew confirmed in that soft, reassuring voice of his. "Everyone's afraid of something." He told her tenderly and Monica nodded in agreement to her charge, but then she suddenly stopped as Andrew's words rolled over in her mind. Quite suddenly, she turned in her seat to look at Andrew questionably. It was easy to tell by the expression on her face what she was thinking and what she was about to ask.

But Andrew only took one look at her pretty face and turned to look out the window, clearly pretending not to get the message. But Monica wasn't satisfied with this. "Oh come on!" She pried, curiosity clearly getting the better of her once again. "_Everyone's _afraid of something. What is it?" She pressed, knowing Andrew had to be afraid of _something, _he just wasn't telling her for whatever reason. Now Andrew knew he had to do something or he would never live this down. "Nothing." He lied in return, but it was simple enough to see that he was fibbing. Now Gloria had caught on to what was going on and she was just glad the attention was no longer on her, but she too was far too curious for her own good.

"Seriously Andrew. What is it?" She begged full-heartedly as now he had both their full attentions. But now Andrew knew he had no choice for he had somehow managed to talk himself into a corner and he had gotten himself in trouble again; as he often did around these girls.

"Alright," he whispered half-heartedly and clearly uncomfortable as he leaned in to tell them the truth. "I'm afraid of…" but his whisper trailed off into a voice so quiet that Gloria and Monica had to lean in even further and they still didn't hear him. "What?" Gloria demanded when she didn't quite catch what he had said. Suddenly realizing that there was no way out, Andrew decided to just get it over with and hope it would be quick and painless. He was wrong. "Squirrels okay? I'm afraid of squirrels!" He snapped it out so loudly that he was sure the entire plane had heard him. But now he realized it had been a big mistake, for both Monica and Gloria suddenly burst out in a choir of laughter and 'what?"s or 'you're kidding!'s. But it was true.

"You're afraid of squirrels?" Monica repeated in a disbelieving laugh, as she didn't take her eyes off of her friend. "You have to be joking. Tell me you're joking." She commanded in an amused manner, but when Andrew only shook his head shamefully, Monica let another burst of laughter escape her sweet Irish lilt. "Oh, but Andrew. They're so cute and fluffy and…" but Andrew didn't giver her a chance to finish as he lashed out again with a sharp retort. "They may be that!" He obliged momentarily. "But what about the rabid ones, huh? You could just be walking down the street and one could just fly out of a tree straight for your head!" He exclaimed with a brief shudder just at the very thought of it.

But when Monica realized there was no point in arguing with him, she simply left him with one last smart smirk and turned her attention back to her pupil and the two of them spent a good few minutes trying to hide their amusement at the subject. But Andrew suddenly wondered what happened to 'everyone's afraid of something'. But he decided the girls had a right to laugh. For he knew it was pathetic, but he could help it. Squirrels had really big teeth!

Although after a few minutes, he decided it would be best to change the subject while he could. "Well, Monica, there's a swimming pool on deck. You _are _going to at least go swimming aren't you? I mean, you _did _bring a bathing suit right?" He confirmed hopefully, but his friend only nodded contentedly. It wasn't just any water she was afraid of. She would gladly go swimming in a little, clear-water pool. "Of course I did." She replied happily before covering a yawn with one hand, after which she continued. "It's a three piece." She informed him with a knowing smirk, as if just waiting for him to ask the question. Just as she had suspected, he seemed questioned by this. "A _three _piece?" He repeated in a little bit of a confused manner, but Monica only nodded as she knew the entire thing made perfect sense, but just the same, she went on to explain. "A bikini for me, and a blindfold for you." She explained with a smart grin at her own joke. Andrew rolled his eyes and managed a small chuckle as well.

But then Monica yawned for the second time and was suddenly aware of how tired she was. The turbulence had ceased now and she decided it wouldn't hurt to get a little shut-eye before they landed. "I think I'm just going to close my eyes for a while." She told the others briefly before leaning her head back on the headrest and closing her honey-brown eyes peacefully. But after a few short moments, it was easy to tell she had fallen asleep, for she then subconsciously allowed her head to drop gently onto Andrew's shoulder. He then glanced down at her for a moment and smiled lovingly as he bent his head and planted a kiss on the top of her head. He didn't mind. They would land in a few hours and he was more than glad to let her sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

"This looks nice." Gloria remarked as she, Andrew and Monica strode through the doorway of their hotel suite carrying whatever little baggage they had brought with them. The cruise was tomorrow and they would be staying here for tonight since their plane landed about an hour ago. The rain had ceased, but the threat of overcast still hung in the air in downtown Miami. At least it was warm here and the angels could walk around in nothing more than T-shirts and shorts.

"Yeah, this is great." Andrew agreed as he dropped his shoulder bag and made his way over to the curtains, which he then pulled open, causing a view worth millions to reveal itself. Monica gasped in amazement when she looked out the huge window and saw it. It was absolutely breath taking. From here you could see the palm trees, the ocean and even the buildings were beautiful as they glinted like diamonds in whatever sunlight was peaking through the clouds. This was so worth the thousands of cases they had completed to get here. Of course, they did their work because they enjoyed it, not because they wanted a free vacation as a reward, but it was still very nice to be able to relax for a few days.

They had checked into actually two rooms, though a door on the far wall connected them. One was Andrew's and the other was both Monica and Gloria's. Of course, the girls' room had both a double bed and a pullout couch, so Monica gave her trainee the option. She agreed to take the pullout couch, seeming more than happy to let her supervisor have the bed. Of course, Andrew was far more content than any to have his own room.

"So, you girls want to go down to the beach?" Andrew ventured hopefully as they all still stood in Monica and Gloria's room, looking at the view. Gloria's answer was quick and easy. "Sure." She beamed excitedly and unzipped her duffle bag and began digging viciously for her bathing suit, but Monica didn't move from where she stood. She seemed undecided on the matter. Picking up on her uneasiness, Andrew was quick to assure her of the thing he was sure she had been thinking. "You don't have to swim." He sighed irritably with an annoyed roll of his eyes as he pulled his own bathing suit out of his shoulder bag. Now Monica grinned contentedly and dropped her own bag on the floor so she could search for her beach clothes.

It didn't take long for them to change into their stuff. By the time they were finished, Andrew was dressed in a loose T-shirt and his bathing suit while Gloria was dressed in a purple one-piece and Monica had decided to put on her bikini top and shorts, just in case _someone _got her a little wet. But they were finished within ten minutes and they then headed down to the beach.

Once they got there, the sun had fully come out again and the clouds were gone, causing the perfect concoction for a day in the sun. Monica first spread out a towel in the sand and seated herself comfortably on it. But both Gloria and Andrew then turned to look at her with somewhat disappointed glances. "You're not even going to try it are you?" Andrew moaned as he watched his friend pull her sunglasses down over eyes and lay down on her back on the towel. "Nope." She replied without any thought about it as she reached up and put both hands behind her head in pure relaxation, just willing to enjoy the salty, ocean breeze.

Andrew just groaned for the thousandth time and shook his head hopelessly as he turned his attention back to Gloria. "Race you to the water." He challenged with a sly smile, thinking it would be something the young angel wouldn't be able to resist. But to his utter surprise, Gloria glanced back at her supervisor for a moment before turning back to Andrew and shaking her head no. "Nah." She shrugged as if it were something she just didn't feel like doing right now. She realized that if Monica wasn't going in the water, then she didn't want to either. Andrew was fun, but she liked it when her supervisor was with her. It was more fun that way.

She instead glanced around the beach until her eyes fell upon a vacant volleyball net and then the idea came to her. "You guys want to play some volleyball?" She offered hopefully and to her content, her friends seemed to like the idea. Monica sat up again and pushed her sunglasses back up on her head while exchanging a careless shrug with Andrew. It seemed like a good enough idea. "Alright. That sounds like fun." Andrew agreed with a smile as he reached down and helped Monica to her feet by the hand. That was when he suddenly realized how good she looked in a bathing suit and short shorts, but it was only moments before she noticed him staring and her expression did the rest and he quickly looked away as if he was uninterested. She gave a small chuckle and shook her head before they both turned to follow Gloria to the net.

Once they got there, they realized it was a single net, and so only two players could play at once. Gloria then decided she would sit out and watch until the next game. "I'll play winner." She offered as she seated herself in the sand off to the side. They nodded a thanks as Andrew moved around to the other side and picked up the ball sitting almost expectantly in the sand. "Okay, Monica, if you think you can take me." Andrew laughed with self-pride as he readied himself to serve. But it was then that Monica decided it was her responsibility to make this a little more interesting. "Oh, I don't think I can. I _know _I can." She countered a little to confidently for Andrew's liking. Did she know something he didn't? In fact she did. She was awesome at volleyball.

Andrew swung his arm back and served the ball cleanly over the net. For a moment, he thought he would get the point because the ball looked as though it was going a little too far out of Monica's reach, but she leapt to the side and made a dive for it, sending it back over to Andrew's side, where he missed it and it landed squarely in the sand. With a sigh, he made his way over to it and picked up before tossing it over the net to his friend's side, as it was fairly her serve now. Gloria watched in slight amusement as her two friends battled it out and Monica prepared to serve this time. She sent it soaring just the right amount over the net. This time Andrew didn't miss and he bumped it back over to her side, but he made the mistake of sending it the right height for her advantage and she leapt as high into the air as her petite frame would go, spiking back to his side of the net, where it again landed with a small bounce in the sand.

Monica beamed proudly and shot Andrew an I-told-you-so glance as he looked up at her irritably. "Point." She proclaimed simply, still not failing to hold that same, proud smile. Andrew stared back at her suspiciously for a brief moment before tossing the ball back to her again. This time it must have stayed in the air for at least six times back and forth, but again, it ended up landing on Andrew's side. This was really starting to irritate him, but it seemed the more frustrated he became, the worse he played and in the end, Monica had skunked him. It was then that Gloria stood from her spot in the sand and brushed herself off, preparing to play, but Andrew stopped her.

"Wait." He held up a hand to the young caseworker, but didn't take his eyes off of Monica, his gaze holding nothing short of a first class challenge. "Rematch." He demanded in the most determined tone Monica had ever heard out of him. But Monica only laughed and shrugged carelessly. "Andrew, I completely skunked you. Why…" But Andrew didn't give her a chance to finish. "REMATCH!" He repeated a lot more firmly this time. Monica sighed and shrugged again as if she could care less as Andrew tossed her the ball again. She caught it and exchanged amused glances with Gloria before serving once again. But just as before, by the time it was finished, she had won again. Of course, Andrew wouldn't have the humiliation so he demanded yet another rematch. And another…and another. But each time Monica won, leaving Andrew with nothing more than a horribly injured pride.

After far too many games to count, the angels decided to call it quits and they headed back up to their hotel room before the breath was completely gone from their lungs. Andrew just couldn't understand why he kept losing. He was great at volleyball. Of course, perhaps he wasn't playing bad, maybe it was just because he was playing against Monica that he kept losing. He eventually decided that had to be it. He often forgot that Monica may not be able to sing or paint or swim in the ocean, but there were just as many things that she _was _good at. Such as pool, skating or apparently volleyball.

But the day had to end sometime right? The angels turned in early that night for they wanted to be rested for their cruise tomorrow, plus it had begun storming again so there was really nothing else much to do. But right around midnight, something roused Monica from her deep sleep and she rolled over uncomfortably in her bed. She could hear the loud rumble of thunder outside, but that wasn't it. She was sure of it. But then it came to her. She knew what it was and she moaned in an annoyed manner as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and strode over to the door that separated her room with Andrew's. This was the last straw. She needed her sleep and the fact that she was tired intensified her attitude even more.

Brushing a few strands of her long, ginger hair behind one ear, she turned the door knob and tossed open the door so it banged loudly against Andrew's wall and, just as she had suspected. He lay sleeping so soundly in his bed that he was snoring at a horrible volume. With a roll of her eyes, Monica decided she only had one choice. "Andrew." She called sharply and irritably to the sleeping Angel of Death, but he didn't wake. He only lay there and continued to snore. "Andrew!" She tried again, loudly enough now that he had to wake up, but as she stared at him trough the dark interior of the room, he didn't move. Then it came to her. "Andrew, look out! A squirrel!" She screamed as loudly as her lungs would allow, hoping this would trigger some kind of reaction. Just as she had suspected, Andrew's snoring ceased and he sat bolt upright in bed yelling something along the lines of: "What! Where?"

With a small chuckle, she shook her head cleverly and made her way over to his bedside. "Gloria and I are trying to sleep." She reminded him as he began to calm down and turned his attention to her, seeming to forget what had just happened. "So?" He questioned, clearly not catching her meaning of waking him up in such an abrupt manner. So Monica went on to explain. "You're snoring…_very _loudly." She informed him irritably, but Andrew only groaned in an exhausted manner and shook his head. "You woke me up for that? Okay, now you're going to get it." He teased as he reached across the bed and snatched the pillow from beside him before raising it over his head and whipping it up at Monica, who caught it – but not without difficulty – and brought it down playfully on Andrew's shoulder. Andrew then rolled over again to look at her in a mock angry manner. The situation had suddenly been given a violent shove from arguing to a playful pillow fight as the two laughed and began to send goose feathers fluttering everywhere.

But then Andrew pounced up from his spot on the bed and chased Monica across the room before snatching her around the waist and tossing her down on the bed like a rag doll, all the while both of them laughing and screaming playfully. Luckily for them, Gloria was a heavy sleeper and didn't wake in the next room. Andrew then sprung back onto the bed himself and the tickling match that followed lasted until both of them were too out of breath to continue. And they instead fell into a deep sleep; one in which Andrew didn't snore anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

"Okay, Andrew. Time to get up. I can't find Monica. I guess she already…" but Gloria's voice trailed off as she swung open Andrew's hotel room door only to find both her supervisor and the Angel of Death sleeping soundly together in Andrew's bed. Andrew slept with his arm holding Monica in place by her petite shoulders as she lay against him with her head on his chest. Needless to say, this looked more than a little suspicious to Gloria, but she only shrugged and laughed off any interesting thoughts that entered her mind. Monica and Andrew were friends. More than likely she had slept in here because Gloria had been taking in her sleep or something. Whatever the case, she was about to find out.

"Well, what do we have here?" She teased with a clever smile, speaking a little louder this time just to ensure that she woke them both up. Once they had subconsciously picked up on their friend's voice, both Monica and Andrew stirred, stretched and slowly rubbed the sleep from their eyes before opening them fully. But as they each began to fully wake up, they realized they must have moved around in their sleep or something because they definitely knew they never fell asleep like this!

Horrified and humiliated, they both scrambled out of bed in opposite directions and forced themselves to take deep breaths so they could at least think straight. There they stood for a brief moment on either side of the bed staring at one another, each waiting for the other to say something, _anything. _Eventually, the awkward silence was broken by Gloria's outburst of laughter she had been trying so hard to keep in and it was then that they both decided it was really no big deal and, with a shake of their heads and a roll of their eyes, they shrugged it off.

Gloria then managed to control herself and get back down to business, stifling any laughter that threatened. "Really though guys, we slept in and we should really get going. The cruise leaves in an hour." She reminded as she lifted her arm to check her watch for what must have been the thousandth time that morning. Both Monica and Andrew then reached for their clothes and began getting dressed, after Monica headed into the bathroom and shut the door of course.

It only took them about twenty minutes to get dressed and then they packed up their things and checked out of the hotel before heading down to the peer where they knew the cruise ship would be waiting. They drove down there and, just as they had suspected, there it was. It was called the Princess Margaret IV and – to anyone who wasn't afraid of water anyway – it was glorious, massive. On deck they had bars, two pools a huge dining room and stories upon stories of wonderful rooms. Two of which belonged to Andrew, Monica and Gloria. Again, Monica and Gloria would share a room, as they were both girls so really, what did it matter, and Andrew would have his own room again.

They didn't have to wait long before they boarded and were shown to their rooms on the second story. As they moved down the wide hallway of the Princess Margaret, they soon came to their rooms. Rooms 216 and 217. But just as Monica was organizing their room keys, another young couple crossed paths with them and felt it only necessary to say hello and introduce themselves. "Oh, we're in the room right next to you." The young woman informed them cheerfully as she and the young man approached. The angels turned and flashed them both a friendly smile.

"Hello." Monica greeted welcomingly as she turned her attention from the room keys to the newcomers. "I'm Monica and these are my friends, Gloria and Andrew." She introduced proudly as she motioned to the other two, who also waved a brief hello. The young woman smiled again and gestured to both she and the young man. "Well, hi, I'm Grace Gordon and this is my husband Jack." She responded politely, and it was then that she recalled some other exciting news she could proudly pass on. "We're on our honeymoon." She explained joyfully as she reached out and shook hands with each of them. The angels smiled happily and Gloria decided to pick this moment to make another one of those little learning assumptions of hers. Monica recalled she used to do the same thing as a young caseworker and Gloria was getting better at holding her tongue, but she still had her moments…like now for instance.

"Congratulations!" She exclaimed cheerfully before continuing. "I hear people go on honeymoons just after they get married. Is that why you're here? I mean, I'm not really sure why they call it a honeymoon anyway, because really, it has nothing to do with honey or moons." She rambled mindlessly, clearly not thinking her words through before she spilled them out, but fortunately for her, her supervisor was watching out for her and Monica then held up one of the room keys mockingly. "Here Gloria, put this in your mouth." She suggested with a small smirk in Andrew's direction. That was all she could think of to say to try and send Gloria the signal to stop talking. But luckily Grace and Jack didn't seem to catch onto what was going on and they simply smiled as if it were a joke (as that was what they thought it was) and waved a goodbye before disappearing into their room.

Monica then shot Gloria a scolding look but said nothing as she turned again and opened their room door as well. Andrew followed the in, for again, their rooms were connected by a door through the wall. It was just easier that way. "So, I heard there's some sort of dance or fancy dinner tonight in the dining room. You girls want to go?" Andrew ventured as he again dropped his shoulder bag on the floor next to the bed. Gloria and Monica exchanged agreeing shrugs and then turned their attention back to Andrew and nodded. "Yeah," Monica smiled in return, "that sounds like fun."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

"Okay ladies, dinner won't wait for us." Andrew sighed remorsefully as he banged on Gloria and Monica's door late that evening after they had cast off. But as he waited, he wasn't surprised to hear the same response he had been hearing for the past half hour. "Just a second!" Gloria's voice echoed back through the door and Andrew could only roll his eyes and shake his head again for what must have been the billionth time that night. "Women." He murmured under his breath as he checked his watch yet again. What was it about them that took so long to get ready?

But then Andrew's irritability seemed to suddenly and completely vanish as the door swung open and Monica stood there ready to go. She looked so incredible that it totally took Andrew's breath away when he saw her. She was…immaculate. She stood there wearing a stunning sleeveless purple dress that seemed to be littered with sparkles and she had also put her hair up in a way that she rarely did, but a way in which Andrew thought looked nothing short of great on her: half up, with only the strands around her face pulled back around the rest.

"Andrew…what's wrong?" Monica questioned in a perplexed manner as she attempted to regain his attention, as he seemed to have allowed his mind to wonder into some far off place. But when he heard his friend's voice, he snapped himself back to reality and forced out whatever answer came to mind first. "Nothing, I'm…beautiful." He breathed, clearly losing control of his imagination again, but then he caught the more puzzled expression upon his friend's angelic face and quickly corrected himself. "Fine." He saved, desperately hoping the damage hadn't already been done. "I'm fine." He then regained eye contact with his friend and prayed to God that whatever he thought was going through her head, wasn't.

Monica seemed to let it go a little, but still kept a close eye on him as the two, followed by Gloria, strode from their rooms and down the hall, down the stairs to the dining room, where dinner was already being served. It was delicious, they had to admit. They served salad and grilled chicken breast and wine. It was just exquisite, and tomorrow they would enjoy plenty of swimming and pool and whatever they wanted…as long as it didn't rain again. Right now it was still clear as far as they could tell. Although they barely ever felt anything on the ship. It was so huge.

After dinner the band started up and people just couldn't resist dancing. They were beautifully slow songs and the angels could already see that Grace and Jack were already dancing. Monica thought it was just utterly romantic and wonderful when newly weds came into the world. She often dreamt about what it would be like to get married. To plan a whole wedding and then walk down the aisle in an immaculate white gown to recite her vows to her future husband. And yes, she often wondered what it would be like, but she never wished it to reality, for she had her friends and God and that was enough for her. Gloria and Andrew were the best friends anyone could have and normally there was another as well. Tess, Monica's old supervisor. But she was on another assignment now and unfortunately couldn't be with them on their vacation.

"Excuse me miss," suddenly Monica was wrenched from her musings and back to reality as Andrew's teasing voice cut through her thoughts, "would you like to dance?" He offered in mock sophisticatedness, as though they were back in the olden days or something. Monica smiled at her friends charming antics and nodded. "Thank you, I would love to." She replied in that same voice, clearly deciding to play along for now. She then allowed Andrew to lead her onto the dance floor by the hand. But once they were out there, they both dropped the act and became their normal selves again as Andrew took his free hand and wrapped it around her waist to place it upon her back and she did the same to him and with that they began to dance. This wasn't the first time she had danced with Andrew but it had been a while and she had forgotten how wonderful it had been, twirling around him on the dance floor.

The song they were dancing to tonight was Friends Are Friends Forever and it was more than appropriate for the occasion and, as she danced, Monica recalled the first time she had met Andrew, on that log in the woods in her second year of casework. Of course, they had many great memories together, but that was not one of them. Wow, she had really hated him. Well, perhaps hate was too strong a word but…no, she hated him. Oh how things had changed since then. She couldn't remember ever having a better friend. And now, as the song slowed a little more, Andrew let go of her waist and then took both of her hands in his before lifting them and placing them around his neck. He then placed both of his hands on her waist and Monica took the chance to lean in plenty closer so that her head was actually resting on his shoulder and her body leaned trustingly on his. Oh how she loved him; not in the same way humans loved each other of course, but he was her greatest friend and she loved him for that.

When the song was over, Monica and Andrew headed back over to their table where Gloria was waiting and ordered some desert, which of course was just as fantastic as dinner had been. They didn't stay much longer after that before heading back to their rooms, since it was late. There they changed into whatever they planned to sleep in. For Andrew it was a T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. For Monica it was a nightgown that looked more like an angel's white dress than anything. And for Gloria it was simply an extra long T-shirt.

"Well, goodnight." Andrew smiled and waved briefly to the girls before disappearing into his room and closing the door gently behind him, but not two seconds had passed before the door reopened again as Andrew suddenly had a second thought. "You know Monica, I was thinking…" He began, but Monica already knew what he was going to say in reference to the night before and quickly cut him off. "Get back in there Squirrel Boy." She ordered with a clever smirk as she turned down the covers on her bed. Andrew didn't even other arguing with this and he quickly turned on his heel and disappeared into his room again, slamming the door teasingly behind him this time.

Within another fifteen minutes or so, the angels were asleep again. Surprisingly, Monica actually found that whatever motion of the sea she could feel through this mammoth thing actually soothed her and helped her to rest more soundly. Of course, none of them expected the horrible awakening they would get later that night.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

It was so sudden they were sure no one on the ship expected it. Like a bomb going off, a horrible, ear-splitting bang shook the entire ship, causing a feeling similar to an earthquake and both Gloria and Monica tumbled out of bed and hit hard on the floor of their room. There was no time to gradually wake up. They were fully alert in mere seconds as the Princess Margaret shuddered dreadfully, causing screams of terror throughout the ship. Lights flickered throughout the room and several lamps and other various items shattered as they spilled from the tops of dressers or night stands. But it only lasted about a minute or so before the rattling ceased and an intense silence and stillness seemed to drift throughout the dark hallways.

Finally, after a good forty seconds or so of absolute stillness and pitch-blackness, one of the angels felt brave enough to break the silence. "What was that?" Gloria ventured in a voice incredibly quiet, although it still sounded as loud as fireworks in this eerie silence. But Monica was already lifting herself to her feet as she glanced around the room cluelessly. "I'm not sure." She whispered the reply as she glanced around her nervously. This wasn't helping her fear and all she could think about was the deep, dark sea beneath her feet as she felt her heartbeat begin to race until she was sure it was no longer beating at all, but humming instead.

But just as she opened her mouth to say something else, Andrew rushed in through the connecting door with a concerned expression. "You guys okay?" He confirmed quickly with a crease of worry in his forehead. But Monica only nodded in reply as she desperately scrambled to compose her thoughts and slow her heart rate. "Yeah, we're okay." She replied breathlessly as she squinted through the darkness to see her friend. "What was that?" She questioned, hoping that by some miracle Andrew would have the answers she didn't. And miraculously, he did. "Okay, no one panic." He sighed calmly as he contemplated the situation. "I know what happened. I've seen it many times before and one of the crew told me in the hall just now." He began, seemingly just as startled and breathless as Monica. "One of the boilers exploded, but it's under control now." He explained quickly in an attempt to calm his anxious friends.

Both Monica and Gloria suddenly seemed to drop all tension in their bodies as they breathed a long-awaited sigh of relief, but then Monica thought of something else and decided it would be best to just take an extra precaution on this subject. "Alright, well we'd better just go and check on Grace and Jack." Monica suggested logically as she made her way through the blackness and over to the door that lead into the hall. She then swung it open and, followed by Gloria and Andrew, she headed out into the hall and had to feel her way along the wall until she came to the next door, knowing automatically by memory that it belonged to Grace and Jack's room. She then took one fist and knocked loudly, knowing they had to be up.

As expected, within seconds, the door swung open and Jack stepped out with a questionable expression, clearly wondering the same thing the angels had been wondering a few minutes ago. "It's okay." Monica assured him, holding a hand up to stop him from asking any questions before she could explain. "Everything's under control. We just wanted to know if you and Grace were alright." She ventured in a concerned manner, although it seemed she was right to be concerned, for an expression of sudden horror came over Jack's face as he unexpectedly seemed to recall something he had forgotten before.

"Oh God, Grace!" Jack exclaimed as his expression only grew with more terror. The angels stared back at him with that same questioning expression he had only moments earlier. He then continued as quickly as his tongue would allow. "She went up on deck a few minutes ago!" He cried out now in a state of panic as he rushed out the door and down the hall. Monica, Andrew and Gloria were quick to follow as they too, now held a sense of dread and horror in their hearts. They raced out on deck, where they found some sort of chaos seeming to unfold. Crewmen rushed to and fro. They seemed to be searching for something. And several cruise passengers stood by the railing yelling and screaming for something or someone, though it was difficult to make out what they were saying because of the utter mayhem that was unfolding.

Finally, to everyone's horror and dread, thy finally managed to pick out one scream among the rest and those were the two words they had been most dreading for the past few minutes. "Man overboard!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Without any further thought about it, the angels and Jack rushed over to the railing, where they took one glance down only to find Grace, desperately scrambling through the ocean ways in any attempt to keep her head above the enormous swells. "Grace!" Jack yelled at the top of his lungs, though it was clear she didn't hear him, whether it was because she had fallen so far or because he head kept disappearing under the water they weren't sure. But then Monica knew what she had to do. In her heart, her Father was calling out to her, telling her what had to be done. And so, with almost no thought about it, she mustered up every last bit of courage in her body and threw herself over the railing after the young woman, ignoring any screams of protest from Andrew or Gloria. The fall was terrifyingly long, as they drop was an unbelievable distance.

But eventually, after having the breath torn from her lungs because of the fall, Monica hit the water at break-neck speed and disappeared beneath the surface immediately. The water, even though it was tropical, hit her like icy knives as she sunk. But she wasted no time once she had regained her composer, and made a desperate swim for the surface. She could feel the swells forcing her down, but further up she swam until after an eternity it seemed, her head broke the surface and she gasped for whatever air she had lost. She then glanced around her hastily, ignoring the shouts from above until her eyes finally fell upon the flailing figure she could only assume was Grace.

She paddled toward her with her arms, using nearly all her strength to get through the undertows and waves. Panic was beginning to ride in her heart as she felt herself shiver and tire from the ocean. She couldn't even imagine how Grace had to be feeling after being in this icy water for so much longer. But she eventually reached the young woman and outstretched her hand to get the message across to the human, as the both of them were far too frozen and exhausted to say a word. Only by the mercy of the Father did Grace understand and reached out her with once hand. Monica only had to stretch her drenched arm a little further before their hands connected and the angel held on with all her might, not exactly knowing what she had to do next.

But it was then that the crewmen aboard the ship found what they had been looking for and tossed it down to them. A life preserver. Both Monica and Grace were gasping for air now as the freezing water found it's way into their lungs and Monica kicked with all her might before she had brought the both of them over to the life preserver, all the while not letting go of Grace's hand. Once they had reached it, then Monica released Grace's hand as the human grasped the life preserver with both hands and allowed the crewmen to hoist her up on deck. It was a long haul, but she was finally there and felt the tension release from her lungs as she coughed in the warm night breeze above. Jack leaned over the railing to grab her once she was in reach and he then hauled his new wife over the railing and onto the deck, where she collapsed and struggled to regain her breath as Jack pulled off his own bathrobe and wrapped it lovingly around her shoulders.

Seeing this, all Andrew wanted was to have Monica back at his side and he shouted for the crewmen to send down the life preserver again. They did, but everyone was surprised and horrified when it splashed down into seemingly empty waves. Both Andrew and Gloria leaned over the railing, desperately searching for their friend, whom they knew had to be down there. She just had to be down there somewhere. But nothing but quiet and a gentle splashing sound drifted up to them from the sea below. It was almost too much for Andrew to stand. "Monica!" He screamed as loudly as he could as tears threatened in his throat.

He thought of the day before, when they had been playing volleyball and having a good time. He even thought of a few hours ago, when she had made the Squirrel Boy joke. She couldn't be gone. She just couldn't be. But then a new development occurred and suddenly a still, lifeless looking figure appeared on the surface below without a sound. Everyone watching knew what it was and prayed what they saw wasn't true. In some form of a miracle, the life preserver just happened to drift the right way so that it slipped over Monica's head and arm, securing her unconscious body to itself. One of the crewmen then demanded the other to hoist her up and he did so, careful not to let her fall again throughout the journey upward.

Andrew was the first one to her aid when she finally reached the railing and he grasped her tiny body by the shoulder and pulled her on deck with minimal difficulty. He lay her gently on her back on the hard surface and knelt at her side. Jack then knelt next to her as well and hastily checked her pulse before bending forward to check if there was air emitting from her mouth. There was none. "Okay, I don't have a pulse and she's not breathing." He informed Andrew and Gloria, who stood close by. "And there are no first aid officials around. Someone's going to have to perform CPR." He announced this part a little more loudly in hopes that anyone around who hears would know how to do it.

But there was no point in awaiting a reply, Andrew was not going to waste one more second of his friend's precious life that was slowly slipping away from them and he dropped to his knees at her side once more. "Okay, watch out." He waved Jack out of the way before bending his head to check her breathing and pulse once again before beginning. Tears streaming down his face, he folded his hands over her chest and pumped down over and over again, all the while counting to five before he tilted her head back, plugged her nose, holding it shut with his thumb and index finger. He then bent again, and, without a second thought about it, he covered her mouth with his and gave her two deep breaths of air. Rising again, he repeated the procedure over and over, though it seemed to have no effect.

"Oh Monica, come on, don't leave me now." He pleaded through tears as he gave her five more thrusts onto her chest and leaned over once again, giving her two more breaths of air. But the little, Irish angel only lay there lifelessly as though she would never rise again, her hazel eyes closed almost peacefully and her wet, auburn hair loose beneath her head. "Oh God, Monica wake up!" Andrew shouted as tears now fell freely down his face and he repeated the heart-pumping procedure before bending down one last time. But this time before he reached her mouth, as if on her friend's demand, Monica coughed up the water almost violently and Andrew helped her to roll on her side so she didn't choke again. An enormous grin spread his face as he cried harder yet, but this time out of joy. He loved that little angel so much; he didn't know what he would of done if he hadn't been able to revive her.

"Oh, thank God!" He exclaimed as she finished sputtering and gasped for air. He them wasted no time in leaning forward and embracing her petite frame so tightly that he was sure he would never let go. What would he have done? Still slightly dazed and confused, Monica struggled with her memory until she recalled waiting for the life preserver and being pulled under the boat by an undertow. That was the last thing she remembered. But now as Andrew held her in his arms, she could guess pretty easily what had just taken place and she felt steaming tears of her own work their way down her freezing face. If it hadn't been for Andrew, she would never have woken up again and she owed her life to him. She could never be more thankful than she was now. She was sure of it.

"Oh, Monica, I thought we'd lost you." Andrew whispered in his friend's ear as he held her, still not letting go. Monica allowed the tears to spill freely over her angelic features now as she rolled over the situation in her mind again and again. "Andrew," she gasped disbelievingly as the air flooded back into her lungs, "you saved my life." She stated, still in a state of shock, as she was suddenly aware of how cold she was. Feeling her small, trembling body in his arms, Andrew drew back momentarily to pull off his own bathrobe and wrap it caringly around his friend's shoulders.

But as he sat there with her, watching her drip salt water and shiver in the moonlight, he suddenly realized how this all happened. He had been the one to convince her that water was nothing to be afraid of. He had been the once to make sure she came on this cruise. And last but not least, he had been the one who had let her dive in tonight. He could've stopped her. This was all his fault! He had almost lost his best friend and it was all his fault!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

"Andrew, are you alright?" Monica questioned with a concerned expression as she managed to stop shivering with the warmth and help of Andrew's robe. But Andrew forced himself back to reality as the realization hit him and he stood and stepped back a little from his friend without a word. "Andrew?" She repeated worriedly as she too stood with a little help from Gloria. But Andrew only took a moment to compose his thoughts as he stared back at the beautiful little amber-haired angel. Finally, after a long, awkward silence, he managed to squeak out something. "I'm…I'm sorry Monica. I'm going back to my room." He told her in a voice barely above a whisper as he began to turn away and head for the stairs, but Monica stepped forward and grasped his arm to stop him. "Wait, Andrew, what's wrong?" She questioned in a puzzled manner as she turned him back to look at her, but he only pulled away again without taking his eyes off of her.

"Monica…I…I just…it's all my fault you had to go through this. I could've lost you. If only I had just…" But he couldn't finish for it was just too much for him to contemplate what the outcome could've been if he hadn't managed to revive her. Monica opened her mouth to argue in response, but Andrew didn't giver her a chance. "I'm going back to my room." He stated simply and quietly before turning and disappearing down the massive hallway of the Princess Margaret.

Monica then allowed her gaze to drop to the floor in disbelief as she pondered what her friend had just told her. But that wasn't true! It could've happened to anyone and he had saved her life. That was all that mattered to her now. But then she was torn from her musings when she felt her pupil's gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning to face Gloria, she found that her charge also bore glassy eyes and a tear-stained face. Reaching out, she embraced her trainee lovingly as she felt her sob into her shoulder. "I'm alright, Gloria." She assured the young caseworker as she pulled away again and shot her a reassuring smile. But Gloria only shook her head and wrapped her arms around her supervisor's neck once again. "No, Monica. I don't know what we would have done if Andrew hadn't…" but her voice trailed off as she drew back once more, suddenly realizing what her supervisor must be thinking. It was true. If Andrew hadn't done something then Monica wouldn't be hear now and for that she was most grateful. She just didn't understand why Andrew couldn't see it the same way. But Gloria helped her out on this matter.

"Monica, you two are best friends." She began her explanation. "He just loves you so much – we all do - and he thinks that he should be taking better care of you." She told her supervisor with an equally loving smile. But Monica only shook her head in slight disagreement. "I love him too, and he saved my life. But I can take care of myself. He shouldn't feel responsible." She countered wisely, thinking her words through carefully before she told them to her pupil. Gloria sighed and lifted a finger to dry another tear momentarily before continuing. "Why don't you tell him that?" She suggested with almost equal wisdom as she gestured to the hall in which Andrew had headed down.

Monica glanced over her shoulder and thought about her trainee's words for a moment. Eventually she decided she was right and talking to him would be the best thing for them both. And so, without further or do, she nodded briefly to Gloria and then turned to follow Andrew back to his room.

Upon approaching his door, Monica sighed one more time and quickly composed her thoughts as she brushed a damp strand of ginger hair out of her eyes. She then lifted a fist and knocked three times evenly. She had to wait a little longer than expected before she heard the doorknob click open and Andrew's face appeared in the small crack that had been revealed. When he saw her, he failed to open up the door any wider than it already had been and just stared back at her expectantly. "Hi," Monica greeted gently with a small smile, "can I come in?" She asked hopefully to her friend, still managing to hold that teeny tiny, crooked smile. Andrew thought briefly of turning her away, but her gentle intensions along with her Irish charm were enough to convince him and, with little more than a shameful sigh, he opened the door widely enough so that she could step in.

Avoiding his gaze for a moment, Monica obliged and entered the room quietly. There was a brief silence that lasted only until Andrew had closed the door behind her and then she felt it best to spill out her thoughts before he could interrupt her. "Andrew you shouldn't feel responsible for this." She began telling Andrew exactly what she had told Gloria. "I love you, you're my best friend, and all that matters to me is that you saved my life." She told him quickly and honestly as she reached up to brush that same strand of hair out of her face again, as it had fallen back out from behind her ear in it's heavy weight from the salt water.

But Andrew only shook his head in protest and argued the remark. "No, Monica." He retorted gently but certainly, "you could've…well, I could've lost you and I know angels can't die but their human forms can and if yours had, then I don't know what I would ever do without you." He told her earnestly and Monica's little smile grew a little at this statement, but she soon realized how important it was that she convince him otherwise. "Andrew, you're right. I could've been taken away from you and Gloria tonight. But I wasn't. And that was because of you. _You _Andrew. You saved my life and I will never forget that." She concluded on a loving, passionate tone in her accent. Now Andrew seemed to cave a little as he studied the floor for a moment as he thought. Although eventually his silence was just about all Monica could stand and she continued.

"So, are we good?" She confirmed in a careful voice as she reached out and took his hand in hers. But after another brief moment of silence, Andrew looked up at her again and nodded, giving Monica the relief she had so been waiting for. And with that, her smile grew to full size and she allowed Andrew to take her in his arms again and hold her tightly, kissing the top of her head as she rested her cheek against his chest. Sure, they were angels and their jobs required them to change positions a lot. But right now all Monica knew was that they would be friends forever.

Packing up the dreams

God planted

In the fertile soil of you

I Can't believe the hopes He's granted

Means a chapter in your life is through

But we'll keep you close as always

It won't even seem you've gone

Cause our hearts in big and small ways

Will keep the love that keeps us strong

(CHORUS)

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say "never"

Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given

Springing from the hope we know

We will pray the joy you'll live in

Is the strength that now you show

But we'll keep you close as always

It won't even seem you've gone

Cause our hearts in big and small ways

Will keep the love that keeps us strong

THE END


End file.
